Big Noyd - On The Grind

Big Noyd has been on his grind for a while, which makes his album title perfectly fitting. Noyd made noise guesting on Alchemist's and Mobb Deep's latest releases, but it is on the solo tracks where Noyd shines the brightest. While Mobb Deep is all over On the Grind, Noyd's best tracks are when he rolls solo. "Hu, What?" is a perfect, high-energy opening for the album which features a banging Ric Rude track perfect for a live show. "Louder" is one of the best tracks on the album, which features dark piano keys for Noyd to tell about his struggle. "Young and Thuggin" is another track that's some classic NY Hip Hop. There's some snags on the album, like the skits and some of P's verses, but the album ends on an instant Ric Rude-produced classic, "Trust Em." Noyd is not an artist you want to sleep on, because you've definitely heard him through the Mobb. This album not only showcases Ric Rude's dope production, but also Noyd's hunger to be that next dude.

By Brian Kayser